A Not So Short Walk in the Hindu Kush: One month down...

On the macro level, the national elections are closing in, and the anxiety is starting to build. Things in southern Afghanistan (Helmand) are explosive as the Marines continue to battle with the insurgents there. Helmand is the opium poppy capital of Afghanistan, and therefore is a cash crop that fuels the insurgency. Nuristan has also seen it's fair share of action in the North East, specifically the Bargi Matal district. The crack down on Islamic fundamentalists in Pakistan has been steadily forcing them over the border into Afghanistan, and the mountains of Nuristan provide an excellent hiding place.

Violence aside, the lives of the afghan people continue to move forward. Our PRT has already done a tremendous job at reaching out to the people of various villages. Leaders from the villages (malek) come to the base every week to have lunch and discuss various topics.

My projects are progressing, although at the slow 'afghan' pace that I was warned about prior to arriving. The project of note for this blog is the Nangaresh to District Center asphalt road. It is a 4 kilometer (2.5 miles for us Americans) asphalt road, the first true asphalt road in Nuristan. It connects the district capital of Nangaresh to the Nurguram district center compound, where the district government and ANP reside. Coincidently, it also passes right by our base....

The pictures below are from the ground breaking ceremony. There was over 100 people in attendance, and the contractor did a great job at setting the whole shindig up. There were speeches, a ribbon cutting, a shoveling exhibition, and then food galore.